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<title>"i dont regret it. i never will" by never_bloom_again</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28215759">"i dont regret it. i never will"</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/never_bloom_again/pseuds/never_bloom_again'>never_bloom_again</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Criminal Minds (US TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drabble, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, post penelope</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 14:21:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>607</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28215759</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/never_bloom_again/pseuds/never_bloom_again</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>hotch comes to visit penelope after she is shot</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Penelope Garcia &amp; Aaron Hotchner</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>"i dont regret it. i never will"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Penelope had fucked up. She knew it. As soon as the questions had started about the encrypted file on her computer, there was no doubt about it, at all.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maybe, she would be lucky, and they would take pity on her - Penelope had just been shot, afterall, but it was the FBI, and they were hardly renowned for their leniency. But odds were, she was going to be fired. The one job she was good at, where she was really making a difference? Gone. And it was her fault.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her apartment was lonely, having told her friends to go home hours ago, the bright colours and numerous knick-knacks doing nothing to distract herself from all that had gone so terribly wrong. What was enough to distract Penelope, however, was the knock on her door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jumping slightly from the shock, still on edge, Penelope stood up and made her way cautiously to the door. As she looked through the peephole, she recoiled at the sight of Hotch standing outside of her apartment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As she opened her door further, Pen could see that her boss was still in the suit that she had seen him in earlier in the day - or the day before, she wasn’t even sure anymore. In his hands he held a container of brightly decorated biscuits, which she recognised as being from her local supermarket.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Garcia, I just wanted to drop by and check that you are okay, and give you these - I thought you might like them.” Hotch paused, handing the plastic box to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Penelope could hear the exhaustion in his voice - he had probably been working since some god awful hour of the morning - if he had even slept at all the previous night. Her boss was good at many things, however taking care of himself was not one.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Sir,” Penelope responded, trying to muster as much of her normal enthusiasm as she could. “I’m really sorry about all of this. You must regret hiring me at times like this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She gave a bittersweet laugh as she said it - it was as joking as it was true. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hotch’s normally stony expression lapsed just for a moment, giving way to some strange myriad of emotions that had his jaw dropping and his brows furrowed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t fucking regret it. I never will.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taken aback by Hotch’s momentary outburst, Penelope struggled for the right words. She thought that was the most meaningful, kind thing that he had said to her in all of the years since he had taken her in and accepted her resume on that glittery pink paper. He didn’t even give her the chance to speak, going on to say what Penelope thought may have been both the longest and sweetest thing she had ever heard the man say, at least outside of a case.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You are the heart of this team, Garcia. That was all a serious mistake, yes, and I can’t show the same leniency if you ever do it again, but it did nothing to change your place on the team. So don’t be sorry, and know that I don’t, and won’t, regret hiring you.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I hope to see you back at work soon. Let me know if you need anything.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn’t give her a chance to say anything before walking away, leaving the sugary treats in Penelope’s hands as the only proof he had even been there. It was so painfully Hotch - his own quiet way of helping the ones he loved - and Pen couldn’t help but feel honoured to be on the receiving end of it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It helped wash the loneliness away,  too.</span>
</p>
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